Stepping Into Confidence with My Stammer
Certain that nothing is impossible with strong determination, Afua Akomaa Danso from Ghana transformed insecurities due to stammering into unshakable confidence and educational success, showing that perseverance and Buddhist practice leads to life-changing results.
I was born into a family that practiced Nichiren Buddhism. Growing up, my sister and I took part in many Soka Gakkai activities. However, it wasn’t until after secondary school that I became fully convinced of the practice, when it helped me overcome some of my initial struggles.
I used to be a very quiet person, always coiling into my shell. I did not like speaking with others because I am a stammerer and experienced bullying and abuse at school. I had little confidence and often compared myself with others, thinking I was not good enough because of my speech fluency disorder.
Tackling Social Anxiety
Some years later, when I took on the role of young women’s leader in my local Soka Gakkai area, I knew it was time to overcome my low self-confidence in order to freely interact with members.
Over time, I gained more confidence. It naturally developed through my daily practice and involvement in Soka Gakkai activities. I decided to focus on my unique talents and strengths, rather than on what I was not good at. I decided to shine freely, just as I am, whatever the circumstances. I also realized that everything depended on me, that I am the only one who can change my life and make myself happy.
After obtaining my first university degree in 2013, I had hopes of securing a job. However, since I couldn’t find one, I decided to pursue a master’s degree in art. I knew I loved everything about art and wanted to make an impact in the lives of others, so choosing the right program was important for me.
Over the next two years, I steadily worked toward my goal, and as a result, in 2015, I entered a master’s course for art education. My job search, however, continued.
Leading a Project Boosts Confidence and Determination
In 2017, I was asked to lead the organization and planning of a showing of the exhibition “Seeds of Hope: Visions of sustainability, steps toward change” in Kumasi, the second-largest city in Ghana. I worked hard together with fellow youth members, and the exhibition, which was created by the SGI (Soka Gakkai International) and the Earth Charter International, was a great success with some 7,200 visitors over the two days that it was on display.
This experience further convinced me that with strong determination nothing is impossible. I became more determined than ever to find a job. So wherever and whenever I could, I took action toward becoming an employed person. I persevered in my Buddhist practice and continued to support the young women in my local Soka Gakkai area.
I decided to deepen my conviction in my potential without being afraid of making mistakes or stammering.
A few months after I finished my master’s, I received an offer from my university to pursue a PhD. I initially declined the offer because I wanted to focus on securing a job in order to save enough money to pay the tuition fees myself. I did not want my retired parents to continue paying them for me.
For a year, I sought unsuccessfully for a job. I began to doubt whether I would ever succeed. I knew it was time for change in my professional life, but there were times when I felt like I couldn’t keep going, and my energy levels hit rock bottom. At the same time, I understood that everything that was happening had meaning and was making me stronger. I chanted more than ever, seeking clarity on what my next step should look like.
Facing My Fears as a Stammerer: Getting into Teaching
In September 2018, I decided to accept the PhD offer and started my studies. Two months later, I got a teaching position with the Ghana Education Service. The timing was absolutely perfect! I had finally achieved my target after five years of job searches.
When reality set in, the nature of the job dawned on me. I had been looking for a non-teaching role in the education sector. I began to doubt if I could teach due to my stammer. Finding my way into teaching was a reluctant journey despite the fact that I wanted to make an impact in the lives of others. President Daisaku Ikeda writes:
“You must win in life, win over your weaknesses, win in society and win in exams. The important thing is first to be victorious, and then to gain the nourishment you need for your happiness. Life is a win-or-lose struggle. Buddhism is about winning, too.”
I decided to face my fears and challenge myself.
A Surprising First Day
After my first day in class, I knew something huge had changed within me, not just because I had a job but because of the combination of calmness, joy and confidence and how at ease I felt both with myself and with my colleagues and students. I didn’t feel that I needed to hide a part of me or coil into my shell again because of my stammering. I decided to deepen my conviction in my potential without being afraid of making mistakes or stammering.
Until that point, I had not fully realized the impact educators can have on young people’s lives.
Receiving Recognition: Best Teacher Award
In 2022, as a result of positive feedback from students and the head of my department, I received recognition as the school’s best teacher. My students liked me and always reached out to me whenever they faced challenges.
President Ikeda always encourages us to be beacons of hope and to do the Buddha’s work of striving for the happiness of others wherever we are, and I have always tried to do that.
In January 2023, I presented my PhD thesis and graduated in March of that year. My thesis was judged as one of the best written and successfully defended theses in the department in recent times. I have earned the trust of my supervisors, and I am still working with them on other related projects.
Looking to the Future with Confidence
I now have confidence that no dream is too big to go for even if it does not manifest exactly as we want it to, something better will happen. In the words of second Soka Gakkai president Josei Toda:
“‘Too big’ is just about the right size for young people’s dreams. What we can achieve in a lifetime is always but a fraction of what we would set out to achieve. So, if you start out with expectations that are too low, you will end up not being able to accomplish anything at all.”
